“SHEILA RENE BACKSTAGE” ARCHIVES

Sheila Rene was Born March 14, 1939 in Trinity, Texas. Moved to San Francisco in the 1960s where she fell in love with the SF Music Scene and started interviewing musicians. Sheila had no problem getting back stage since she was a “big girl” she was not mistaken for a groupie, (her own words). She had a passion for heavy metal music and in the late 1970s she started Bay Area Women in Music (BAWIM), which she continued to be involved in till the early ’90s.

Sheila ran a ‘clipping service’ back in the days back when manual means were the only way of compiling press. Sheila’s Silver VW convertible bug, with her business logo on the side, would often be seen at venues. She was ubiquitous at concerts and clubs and a great friend to many of the musicians, media people, club and concert promoters in and around The City.

A close confident of impresario Bill Graham’s legendary “Resident Wizard” Zon Artman, Sheila was the only person ever to have an All Access – All Shows Bill Graham Presents backstage pass. It was fitting then, that her syndicated one-hour interview show, launched in 1981 was called Sheila Rene Backstage. Produced by the Broadcast Arts Group (BAG), with KSJO San Jose as it’s Flagship Station, the engaging chats were inter-spliced with music.

In the early ’90s Sheila returned to Texas to an aging parent and to work on her memoirs. Sheila Rene passed away in her sleep on March 25 1998. Music was her life.

A wake attended by hundreds of her friends held at Olive Oil’s on Pier 50 in San Francisco was organized by fellow BAWIM members Denise ‘Demise’ Dunne and Kathy Peck.

We now present, “Sheila Rene Backstage”. There are 30 programs in this series. The first 7 are now posted. Check back for new posts. The California Historical Radio Society and our Bay Area Radio Museum are grateful to Jeff Siegel for his gift of these shows. And to Paul ‘Lobster’ Wells for his help with the project. These shows have not been heard since their original broadcasts on KSJO. All were recorded in 1981 and 1982.

Sheila Rene’s first interview program on KSJO in the late ‘70s was called “Livewire”. The Broadcast Arts Group (BAG) syndicated “Sheila Rene Backstage”, owned by Jeff Siegel & Mark Whyte. Jeff was the Executive Producer, and KSJO Staffers Stephen Page and Billy Vega, Producers. Most were recorded while artists were on tour in support of latest release. The programs were digitized from Reel-to-Reel by Paul ‘Lobster’ Wells at his Flow Communications studio. A big thank you to Bill Graham and his staff, who were always so gracious to Sheila.

No further information was retained on the location or exact date of Sheila Rene Backstage interviews. Enjoy the shows! And if you do… Please support the California Historical Radio Society and our Bay Area Radio Museum in our efforts for historic preservation, by CLICKING HERE and making a donation. CHRS is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit corporation founded in 1974. These programs are owned by the California Historical Radio Society. They are posted as a snapshot of the music and culture in the 1980’s and the programming broadcast by KSJO.

Does anyone close to Sheila Rene care to get a hold of me re pics I took of Sheila and Zeppelin from the pit, the last full show the Zep did in the US at Oak? I miss Sheila hadn’t seen her in years.Stevietwiz@cs.com Thanks